The Different Levels of Loyalty

(Minghui.org) Loyalty is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. Its Chinese character has two parts: the top part is zhong, meaning impartiality, while the bottom part is xin, meaning heart. That is, loyalty means sincerity, integrity, and impartiality.

According to historical records, the concept of loyalty dates back to the Zhou Dynasty, or even earlier, and it has very profound meanings.

Confucius once said, “A king directs his officials with courtesy, while officials serve the king with loyalty.” Loyalty to a king also extends to the country and nation. On a personal level, it means one needs to do their duty, be dedicated to serving the public, and remain virtuous.

A virtuous person would do their best to encourage others to be virtuous. This is also part of loyalty, and a way to serve the country.

Xun Kuang, a renowned Confucian, wrote about three levels of loyalty: great, good and mediocre. He gave examples of people who exemplified each type of loyalty.

Great Loyalty

“Great loyalty means one would help the king understand what remarks and actions are virtuous, while helping the king be a good person. One example is Zhou Gong’s support for King Cheng of the Zhou Dynasty.”– Xun Kuang

According to Shi Ji (Records of the Great Historian), Zhou Gong was kind and had filial piety, as the younger brother of King Wu. After King Wu died, his son King Cheng was still young. To avoid rebellion, Zhou Gong announced that he would handle government affairs for King Cheng. During the 7 years Zhou Gong was in power, he not only did his best to manage government affairs, but he also taught the young King Cheng how to rule.

Some of Zhou Gong’s teachings were documented in Shangshu (The Book of Documents). In one article “Wu Yi” (no leisure), he said, “A king cannot indulge himself in pleasure. Only by knowing the hardship of farming can he understand the difficulties of ordinary citizens.”

The “Wu Yi” article went on to say, “King Wen (grandfather to King Cheng) was both diligent and thrifty. He worked with his people to build houses and cultivate land. With kindness and modesty, he was busy from dawn to dusk taking care of people. He didn’t even have time to eat and didn’t dare to hunt for sport. He handled government affairs with respect and reigned for 50 years.”

In the article “Zhao Gao,” Zhou Gong told King Cheng to follow the heavenly law by learning lessons from the Xia and Shang dynasties. “Because those kings did not pay attention to virtue, their divine blessings ended early and they met with destruction,” he said. “Since you are beginning to handle government affairs, please promote virtue, don’t tolerate immoral deeds and don’t rule people by killing. Only then can you establish your legacy. I hope your majesty will become a model of virtue for people to follow, so that your grace will spread far and wide.”

Zhou Gong fulfilled his duty to nurture King Cheng with virtue. As a result, when King Cheng, and later his son King Kang, ruled the country, society was peaceful and people lived in harmony. Criminal laws weren’t needed for over 40 years and this period of time was well praised in history.

Good Loyalty

“Good loyalty means helping the king and correcting his behavior. One example is Guan Zhong’s support for Duke Huan of Qi.”– Xun Kuang

Shi Ji (Records of the Great Historian) praised Guan as a responsible official who promoted Duke Huan’s strength and corrected his wrongdoings. Confucius said that Guan helped Duke Huan to be strong and dominate China. But Guan’s own home and lifestyle was as luxurious as a king's. Confucius considered this inappropriate and against China’s ritual system.

Guan was good at making the most of opportunities and turning things around for the kingdom of Qi. After Duke Huan defeated the kingdom Lu and signed a treaty for the land of Ke, Lu’s official Cao Mo forced Duke Huan at knifepoint to return the land previously seized from Lu. Duke Huan was furious and later decided not to return the land, but Guan advised him that building his credibility among various kings was more important. As a result, other kings considered Duke Huan trustworthy and agreed to submit to his power.

However, Guan Zhong wasn’t able to help Duke Huan accumulate virtue and kindness. Before he died, Guan advised the Duke not to rely on Yiya, Kaifang, and two other crafty courtiers. But the king didn’t listen and appointed them to high positions, which led to the kingdom’s decline.

Mediocre Loyalty

“If an official’s advice to a king leads to mutual resentment, it is mediocre loyalty. One example is the relationship between Wu Zixu and King Fuchai.”– Xun Kuang

Wu helped King Helu build a strong and prosperous kingdom. After King Helu died, Wu continued to help his son Fuchai. After King Fuchai defeated the kingdom of Yue, Wu advised him to wipe out the rest of the country. He repeatedly said that Goujian, the king of Yue, was able to endure hardship, which could become a threat to Fuchai.

Goujian bribed one of Fuchai’s senior officials, Bo Pi, who then slandered Wu in front of Fuchai. In the end, Fuchai gave Wu a sword and ordered him to kill himself. Before he died, Wu asked for his eyes to be placed at the entrance to the city, so that he “would see how soldiers of Goujian enter the city with my own eyes.” This infuriated Fuchai even more.

It is true that Wu Zixu advised Fuchai. But he was unable to correct the king’s behavior, which resulted in a feud between them. His loyalty was thus mediocre.

Summary

Loyalty starts with sincerity and respect. It is not limited to fulfilling one’s duty. Rather, it is based on an impartial heart, and includes both honesty and dedication. It is part of China’s traditional values and is consistent with the five main virtues of Confucianism (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness).

Loyalty is especially important in today’s society. Beginning with ourselves, we can cherish honesty and virtue, and rebuild trust. This will return us to the path of harmony between heaven, earth, and mankind.